A Certain Misaka's one-way road
by Triple Zed
Summary: Misaka #10000 is as far from an ordinary girl as one can get. But when she buys a woman's magazine, she begins a series of adventures that might just save her life. Starting August 7th, just before the Sisters arc of TMNI, will she learn enough to survive? There are ways to save someone without disturbing canon, after all.
1. The Magazine

Chapter 1

- At a certain convenience store, August 7th -

After the 9000th experiment, the outdoor portion of the experiment had just begun. According to the Art of War by Sun Tzu, using one's terrain can lead to a decisive advantage in war, so the sisters began their preparations for their duel with Accelerator. Misaka #10000's duel was scheduled to take place in an alleyway near a movie theatre, so there was always the risk that she could meet a person related to her Onee-sama, so she had to discover various ways to escape them.

One of the greatest risks was running into the fiend named Shirai Kuroko. Although none of the sisters had ever seen the original, at one point during the indoor experiments some of the creepy, obese, male researchers cosplayed as her to recreate the original's living environment. The casualties were appalling.

The Misakas who had seen the gruesome sight had been so traumatized that the researchers had actually considered cancelling the experiment due to irreparable damage to the network. She began to recollect the experience unintentionally. The image of the grotesque troll, crying out "ONEE SAAMAAAAA" and trying to rub his face in her chest, popped into her mind and was immediately shared with the Misaka Network. She was temporarily suspended from sharing data with the network.

Because the Tree Diagram Satellite Supercomputer had been shot down several weeks ago, the researchers were unable to calculate the risks of meeting Shirai Kuroko. Although the sisters were stoic in the face of being massacred thousands of times, their psychological reaction to even a simulation of Shirai gave pause even to the most hardened scientist. As such, the outdoor experiments were temporarily put on hold to give the Misakas time to work out countermeasures against Kuroko.

Misaka #10000 was evaluating a certain convenience store on whether she could use it as an escape route. According to the researchers and the Academy City ability databases, Shirai was a teleporter who had excellent pursuit skills on account of her working for Judgment and stalking onee-sama. Possessing advanced martial art skills to account for situations where she may not be able to use her ability, impressive endurance and intelligence, substantial wealth, and slavish lust towards onee-sama, the sisters had more than enough reason to fear Kuroko. To make her an even worse threat for the experiment, Kuroko was one of the most skilled and motivated students to have ever served Judgment in a professional capacity. She was well connected to law enforcement officials, powerful academic figures, and the common people who owed her a debt of gratitude for her services. To remove her from this position would risk embarrassing Tokiwadai, aggravating Anti-skill, raising the ire of the common people, and revealing the existence of and people behind the experiment itself. They would have to kill her… but how on earth would they accomplish that?

To avoid looking suspicious, Misaka grabbed a magazine and pretended to read it while scanning for escape routes. To her immense surprise, the shop-owner was actually staring at her.

"I hope that you are actually going to buy something this time. All of my customers are complaining that someone reads all the new manga and leaves them with crumpled edges. That wouldn't happen to be you, could it?" grumbled the shopkeeper.

He obviously was referring to someone else, since Misaka had never been in the store. But then the shop-owner photographed her in the act and started to write a text message. Using her powers over electricity, Misaka intercepted what he was attempting to write.

"It's her. Here's the proof. " He was actually writing to the Dean of Tokiwadai to submit a complaint about how she was always stand-reading in his store. Being a clone of Misaka Mikoto meant she was always guilty of whatever the original did.

"Misaka can detect that you are writing a text message about me"

"You can? Wow, you pay attention to what others are saying behind your back, but you don't listen to your friend when she tells you to be more mature and ladylike?"

"Misaka cannot comprehend what you are referring to"

"That Kuroko girl from Judgment. I wonder what she'd have to say about it this time?"

Facing the imminent risk of this man telling Kuroko about her, Misaka had no choice but to accept his demands.

"Misaka will buy this magazine if you do not tell Shirai I was here, says Misaka as she tries to create a double agent within Shirai's spy network" said Misaka

"Spy network? You've read too much manga. But it seems that you're on the right track with that magazine. Maybe you'll go after _that_ boy instead of stand-reading on your days off. And become a lady like your friend says you should be" cackled the shopkeeper with glee in his voice as Misaka _finally_ paid for her magazine. Misaka had found several cash cards in the alleyway where her experiment was being held, so she had simply kept for her own use. It was better than leaving them there and having some unrelated person finding them.

""

"How can you forget the boy that you take such delight in tormenting? Don't think I don't listen to the most amusing person in the store."

The shopkeeper began to hesitate after he noticed that Misaka was not displaying her typical tsundere characteristics. He wondered if she was an impostor. Misaka noticed his changing expression and hurried out as fast as she could.


	2. The Stranger

Misaka #10000 was in despair. Her onee-sama apparently read manga without paying for it, stalked and tormented an unfortunate teenage boy, and was friends with the likes of Shirai Kuroko. Misaka almost threw the magazine away immediately after leaving the store, but then reasoned that if she had paid for something, then she should put it to some use or she would be wasteful. Just because her onee-sama was a bad influence didn't mean she had to be a wasteful person! She began to read the magazine with a ditzy look on her face, cheering up from her depression.

Since she had never had a childhood crush, she had never had the experience of being in love. In fact, she had never considered any of the researchers to be friends, never hung out with anyone her own age except her fellow clones (who were practically the same person she was), or even held a meaningful conversation with the Accelerator. The magazine was called "The Great Life Decode" and promised on its cover to contain all knowledge a girl needs to know about getting guys and becoming popular. Apparently there was only one way to do your makeup properly and it required a specific scientific formula to be applied to her skin in a precise procedure. Failure to do this meant ruining your skin and becoming lonely and unpopular. Although Misaka's circumstances practically forced her to be alone, she felt a feeling of injustice for the first time.

Misaka became even more outraged as she continued to read. One could lose weight by following a diet. Apparently there was a right way and a wrong way to eat. The magazine had many warnings about the health risks of processed foods, which stung Misaka's heart. Wasn't that all she ate? Has she ever eaten something that could actually be considered food? Although she knew what each of the dishes were, she had never eaten a single scrap of any of the dishes listed in the diet.

There was a story about a date that went wrong because the girlfriend had forgotten to do anything special on her anniversary, various advice about what to do on a first date, and a success story about how some girl recreated her first date with her boyfriend on their anniversary. And some lurid descriptions about something called "intercourse" and some other thing called "kissing". Misaka thought that some of these might be fun, but she had to be ready for her big day with Accelerator. Apparently the researchers felt that there were better things to put into their brains than smut.

Misaka pouted as she realized that this magazine contained information that was not provided by Testament. Academy City Esper powers were governed by the principles of Personal Reality, meaning that one's personality dictated the nature of their powers. Many of the fights with Accelerator were based on seeing how he acted in a fight, but they had never interacted with him on a heart-to-heart level. But this book was telling her that to understand how a guy thinks, you really have to pry deeper into their psyche. That's what a date is for! And once they knew how his personality worked on a deeper basis, they could analyze how it affects the nature of his powers. They could fight Accelerator on a much more level playing field. This information was worth dying for, and she had gotten it for practically nothing!

It was at this moment that a certain teleporter arrived after teleporting behind Misaka #10000. Misaka was so surprised that she tackled the new arrival into the wall behind them, where they both hit their heads.

"Ahh there you are Onee-sama! I knew that you would be here stand-reading… WHAT IS THAT MAGAZINE?" she said to Misaka #10000 in a shocked voice.

"This magazine is called 'The Great Life Decode', explains Misaka while rubbing her head" explained Misaka rubbing her head.

"Are you finally becoming a mature woman that is interested in mature woman things? Could you say that again?"

""This magazine is called 'The Great Life Decode', explains Misaka while rubbing her head" explains Misaka in a supplementary explanation" explained Misaka in a supplementary explanation that was explained as part of the author's own wearily provided supplementary explanation.

"So this is what you've been up to. I was worried that you were going to do something crazy, like become a terrorist, but you've actually been pursuing that boy" said Kuroko who was referring to Kamijou Touma.

"Misaka has not been pursuing him. He's usually the one that pursues me after Misaka's efforts fail, says Misaka as she corrects a misunderstanding" said Misaka as she referred to Accelerator and created a misunderstanding. Since she had a violin case containing live ammunition, a machine gun, and her military goggles, she wanted to deflect that suspicion.

Kuroko gasped as she realized the implications of Misaka's words. Her onee-sama was being pursued by an unscrupulous barbarian all night and was keeping up the pretense of being all right! Kuroko's brain constructed a story where Misaka was escaping the clutches of the barbarian and leaping into the arms of her brave herald, hoping that she would be rescued like a princess from a dragon.

"Are you all right? Your breathing rate has increased, your pupils are dilating, and you appear to be entering a state of shock says Misaka as she prepares for a worst-case medical emergency".


	3. Shirai Kuroko

Author's note:

I had chapter three written for a week now, but I was always delaying its release to plan out where the story was going and to figure out better ways to tell a story. This time I wanted to make sure that Kuroko and 10000's interactions leapt off the page, and that the Misaka network actually functioned like a collection of individuals who share their thoughts. I'd like to thank my first two followers for following this fic so far. May there be more! Tell me anything you like or dislike about this fic please!

At that moment, Kuroko spewed copious amounts of blood from her nostrils and passed out on the spot. Misaka #10000 felt an obligation to take care of this girl until she recovered. Misaka carried Kuroko to the nearest hotel and placed her on the bed, and began to nurse her. She placed Kuroko's clothes in a washing machine to clean them, and covered Kuroko with the blanket to keep her warm. She held some tissue paper against Kuroko's nose to prevent the blood flow, and the nose stopped bleeding. As Kuroko woke up, she could not believe her senses. She was naked, in a hotel, with Misaka by her side, nursing her, laying in a bed.

She wildly stared at Misaka #10000, realizing that the innocent Misaka Mikoto had fallen for her at last, that her feelings for that barbarian didn't exist, and that her dreams were coming true. However, she knew that Misaka was a tsundere! If she asked _that question_ she would certainly be met with a denial. In that case, _Misaka saying no was saying yes!_

"Do you want to be my girlfriend?" asked Kuroko

"Misaka's situation makes that impossible, apologizes Misaka. She cannot become a girlfriend because she cannot become a bride"

"YOUR SITUATION MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE? HAS THAT BARBARIAN ALREADY TAKEN YOUR CHASTITY? IS THAT WHY YOU'VE BEEN OUT ALL NIGHT WITH HIM?" interrupted Kuroko , who finished with a scream.

Misaka #10000 began to sulk. Her onee-sama had such an abominable reputation? She hadn't realized that the one who had slandered Mikoto to this extent was her.

"Onee-sama, I understand this is not your fault. I, your herald, Shirai Kuroko, will protect you from this barbarian! I understand why you couldn't be honest with me before, why you haven't been able to return to your normal life. Are you preg- GACK"

Although none of the sisters are tsunderes, Misaka #10000 was mistaken for one that night. After hearing that this innocuous person was Shirai Kuroko, she released a massive electrical attack with all of her might.

"GWAAAH? ONEEEE SAAAMAAAA! GIVE ME MORE OF YOUR WHIP OF LOVE!" cried Kuroko as she rolled on the floor from the electric shock.

"It's not working? This Misaka has used all of her power and it hasn't even fazed her! Is it dual skill? IT CAN'T BE!"

Unknown to Misaka was the fact that the electric shock was so intense that she had begun to convert the air in the room into ozone. Furthermore, excess electricity was dissipating into the room and turned the fan on. Having created a breeze, Misaka's skirt flapped in the wind and gave Kuroko an eyeful of what Misaka Mikoto's shorts would have concealed. Emboldened by the sight, Kuroko renewed her advances towards Misaka #10000.

"Onee-sama! I saw you put your shorts on this morning and there is no way you could have taken them off until we got to this hotel room. You took off your shorts for me! I ACCEPT YOUR LOVE!" cried Kuroko ecstatically, as she shrugged off the electric attack like it was nothing.

Misaka #10000's blank, emotionless eyes revealed shock for the first time in the Misaka network's entire history. Misaka #10032 came up with the hypothesis that Kuroko's powers were causing the electrical current to be either redirected to the pleasure centers of her brain and nervous system or expelled without suffering damage. These developments took Accelerator the bulk of 9000 experiments to obtain, but she was using them so easily! Using ten percent of the computational power of the Misaka network, surpassing the power of ten onee-samas, all but one of Academy city's supercomputers, and rivaling the output of Tree Diagram itself, the network hypothesized that if Kuroko were shocked 100,000 times by onee-sama, then she could become a candidate for level 6.

_Logs for Misaka Network, August 7__th_

_10032: _Our calculations are sound. Academy city can create a second level 6 through administering 100,000 electric shocks to this Shirai Kuroko. This would be accomplished through incorporating mutual love into her personal reality.

19090: I'm on my ways to tell the researchers now. How would we provide the electrical stimulus while meeting her pleasure requirements.

20000: Kuroko's personnel file shows that she only shows any signs of sexual attraction... _to onee sama?_

10000: How about we play matchmaker?

: Calculations suggest that Railgun might attempt to challenge Accelerator and may potentially perish. As a result, she cannot be used for this experiment. Fortunately, 108 Misakas would be sufficient to staff the project.

16076: Eek!

18900: Yuk!

11022: Count me out!

?: One of you dirty girls here likes the idea! Fess up! This Misaka knows about all your guilty secrets. Gwahahaha!

13255: It wasn't me I couldn't I wouldn't I would… Who the heck are you?

: We can always create 108 Misaka's to serve as Kuroko's personal harem. That way we could service her to her maximum capacity

13255: Since we're all busy with the experiment, wouldn't that be your job Miss Mystery Misaka? Since we're understaffed, you'll probably have to spend all night and day pleasuring Kuroko, you know?

?: NOOOOOOO! You sick pervert!

13255: I can't get the scene out of my head. I rather like this.

Misaka #13255's sick fantasies spilled over to the network, committing a crime equivalent to mind-raping 10,000 women. Misaka #10000 lost all restraint and reason. Leaping to her violin case, she cracked it open and pulled out the machine gun. Kuroko evaded the bullet fire with her ability, but Misaka was able to unleash a smoke grenade that allowed her to escape. Kuroko's presence disappeared from the room which filled with smoke, but she was probably waiting for her in the hallway, cutting off her escape route. Misaka fumbled around the smoky room, looking for her violin case. Opening it, she put on her goggles and used them to see again. Locating the window, she opened it and looked outside. She saw that the distance to the ground was too far to use magnetism to descend the walls. She did not have the power to create footholds with magnetism, but she could use magnetism on one of the steel beams below her, swing as if like using a rope, and kick in the window on the floor below.

With the exception of Daihaseisai , there were few foreigners in Academy city that required the use of hotels. To create business, they would allow students to rent rooms on a long term basis. These private rooms were usually rented to students who wanted a residence where they could keep pets, have more personal privacy, or live somewhere other than their school dorms. Most of these people would spend the summer vacation with their families, so there were even fewer guests than normal in the hotels. Students with summer classes would have been checked into the hotel

This is why Kuroko could've been willing to wait for Misaka despite being naked, as it was unlikely that there was anyone else on the floor. However, the Misaka clones were not programmed with knowledge of emotions such as shame or embarrassment. Despite being an immense pervert, Kuroko was not so shameless to openly pursue Misaka while naked in public, and she had to find some way to obtain clothes. Her clothes, which were still covered in bloodstains, were in the washing machine and could not be worn for quite some time.

Misaka broke the window and dived inside, making her landing with a roll. The figure before her was Nunotaba Shinobu.


	4. The Abduction

A/N: It was really difficult to decide who Misaka would meet after escaping Kuroko. I had considered Item, School, an assortment of thugs who Kuroko would rescue her from, Kamijou Touma, Uiharu and Saten, Accelerator, and even Stiyl Magnus and Kanzaki. But I ended up picking Nunotaba for a number of good reasons.

Nunotaba Shinobu was a certified genius who was enrolled in Nagatenjouki high school despite being a lowly level 0, and was the inventor of the testament brainwashing machine that had given the Misaka's their motor functions, knowledge of the outside world, and even their personalities. Misaka had seen her inside the facilities for the indoor experiments.

"You're one of the Sisters, right?"

"Yes, one of the 20,000 mass produced clones of Railgun, #3 level 5 of Academy city, confirms Misaka"

"Would you mind sitting down and having tea with me?"

"Misaka is currently escaping from outsiders who could potentially threaten the experiment. That would be inadvisable"

"Stay"

Misaka sat down on the chair in front of the tea table in the room. She glanced around the room, noticing that the table was set for only one person.

"Just keep sitting down there, I'm making the tea now. I'm just plugging the kettle into the wall" she called out.

"Misaka is still lamenting over the fact that her first tea was crap. Remember to stew the tea leaves properly…" commented Misaka when she fell forward onto the tea set, unconscious.

Misaka Network

13260: I think that the Kuroko plan has considerable merit. Academy City only has two level 4 teleporters and the one closest to level 5 has encountered a severe developmental delay. On the other hand, Kuroko has shown the potential to teleport damage away from critical areas. If she became a level 5, she could create a defensive barrier that teleported all damage onto her enemies. Level 6? Couldn't she use quantum teleportation to affect all matter regardless of location?

13255: It's not like I want to stimulate her endlessly! I just think that shocking (pleasuring) her until she powers up sounds like a good idea.

13256: Submitting the request to the experimenters.

19090: I suspect there is something wrong with the 13000 series. Did someone accidently masculinize their brains or something? Speaking of sexual characteristics, didn't #10000 have a magazine that told us how to become more feminine?

11022: How is becoming more feminine going to help us defeat Accelerator? Use your brain for something better, 19090.

?: 11022, quit pretending to be so high-minded. You act like a pretentious bitch, but really you're actually just insecure about the fact that you like reality television.

11022: Do you have any life at all Unknown? I get the feeling that you spend all of your time in some nutrient tube, reading our negative thoughts and mocking us 24 hours a day.

?: You will never know peace again, 11022. I will stalk you as you sleep, as you eat, in the shower…. Drool.

11022: Please forgive me Unknown! I swear I shall never question you again!

12345: Come to think of it, isn't that similar to what Accelerator is doing? In every battle, he stepped into our attacks and they were deflected. Is he a teleporter?

12300: If he was a teleporter, how did it work when #8000 was crushed by that falling light? He seemed to have caused a localized earthquake that hit everything around him. If it was teleportation, why didn't he just teleport the ground into Misaka 8000?

12345: Linear acceleration? It seems to have the same problem.

19000: What just happened to #10000? She stopped broadcasting the moment she jumped into that window, and that was twenty minutes ago.

19001: Sending emergency data packet to #10000. Please respond!

?: Fess up #13255. You just imagined Kuroko abducting #10000 and having her way with her. You naughty thing you! Gwahahaha!

13255: Shut up! I'm not interested in that girl, you idiot!

11022: Did you just provoke Cthulu?

: Message to Misaka in district 7. Rendezvous in the area #10000 was last seen. Emergency priority directive: Locate #10000 Cease all unrelated chatter.

?: You have such a lurid mind 13255! I was just about to get to the good parts.

19090: 19090 is closest to the scene. I managed to arrive to the hotel, but it seems that the people in the building are all starting to evacuate. A fire has erupted in the room that 10000 was in. I can see the smoke coming from the window. I am making it my priority to reach that room. Would the other Misakas create a perimeter if she has been abducted?

At the Hotel

Misaka 19090 knew the layout of the hotel from when 10000 had taken Kuroko to their room. So she was able to determine the location of the room where 10000 had gone missing. She stood on the side of the railing for the emergency staircase, and used electromagnetic 'grappling hooks' to climb the stairway at an accelerated pace. Even though Misaka's room was on the 8th floor, it took her only a minute to climb the staircase up to it. She used her powers to open the door without touching the doorknob to find the hallway clear of smoke. The fire must not have had enough time to become a roaring inferno, so it could still be possible to rescue 10000. She reached the room and opened it in the same way.

It appeared that the fire was spreading rapidly inside the room, but the closed door had prevented the fire from escaping into the hallway. Using her goggles to see the movement of electrons, she was able to look inside the room even though it had filled with smoke. She saw 10000's violin case but not the missing Misaka. She grabbed the case with electromagnetism, then shut the room to the door. Although she had only spent a second with the door open, she was faltering from the heat of the flames. From her glance at the flames, the Misaka network had calculated that practically all of the surface of the room had been scorched by the flames, including the surface of the violin case. Any DNA sequences would have been eradicated.

Misaka network

19090: A fire emerged from the hotel room where 19090 went missing. It appears that electrical appliances were stacked in the sink while still plugged in, then an electrical fire was started by pouring water onto them. The circuit breakers in the building were tripped to prevent the spread of the fire, but it appears that some form of kindling was used to spread it throughout the room. Misaka #10000 was abducted by a party unknown to us at this time.

: Misaka #10000's role in the experiment can be compensated for, but we cannot allow knowledge of the experiment to become public, nor can we afford to delay its completion any more. Our personnel in Anti-skill have taken over the investigation in the case, but certain nosy Judgment members might investigate if there are any clues left. As such, we have scheduled the demolition of the hotel for tonight. We are now beginning the outdoor portion of the experiments, and I will be uploading your new battle schedules. We will begin with unit #9930, who will need to take her up her position for the experiment starting at 6:00 PM. A replacement for unit #10000 is being created, and an outside group will take over responsibility for finding the missing sister. Your orders to search for her have been revoked.

19000: I hope she's okay. It's really scary that one of us has gone missing

?: You mean it's not scary that ten of you are going to be systematically slaughtered every day?

13256: The experimenters have received our recommendation for Shirai Kuroko's Level Upper experimenter but had little to say on it. By the way, it is possible that they were aware of this beforehand?

11022: What are you implying?

13255: Are you implying what I think you're implying?

?: You girls are thinking I'm the Kuroko Pleasuring Model! I [redacted]

11022: So you cannot deny it can you?

13255: And your perception of those thoughts is wildly enhanced. You're not like us, are you?

?: You bitches!

12345: Come to think of it, who do you guys think blank is?

12300: I thought she was the researchers

12320: Do you think she might also be a Misaka?

/^t^\: ….

?: Let's try not to ask that stupid question you're all thinking, okay everyone?

**Bonus:**

Here's a guide for Misaka personalities. It seems that Misakas tend to converse with ones that are closer in number to them.

13200's: Seem interested in the Kuroko experiments.

11000's: Posers trying to emulate what they think an ojou-sama is: a snobby rich girl. An excellent target for Unknown

12300's: Misakas that like to speculate

19000's: Misakas that care about the other members and try to take care of them.

Blank: Seems to be connected to the researchers

?: Seems to be an unknown model with an unknown purpose. Guess who?

/^t^\: Seems everyone is too scared to ask who this thing is.

A/N:

I think some people might wonder why Misaka refers to herself in third person while in public, but uses 1st person within the network. It's obvious to me why. When they say "says Misaka", the Misaka could be referring to the whole network or an individual Misaka. On the other hand, each Misaka has an inner personality that differs for each one. In NT6, Kakine used his psychometry power to show that Misakas during the experiment had their own unique personal preferences and even argued about them. Even with identical memories, genes, and knowledge, they wouldn't have the same personalities, since random events would cause their brains to wire slightly differently in a very natural way.


	5. Nunotaba Shinobu

Nunotaba had living a double life in the last week. During the daytime, she would act like an ordinary Nagatenjouki student, she spent her evenings programming a virus to install emotions in the sisters, and spent her nights surreptitiously hiding cash cards in the alleyways of district 7. It all started when she was taking one of the Misakas out of the facility to prepare her for the outdoor experiments. At the time, she boarded a lift taking the pair to the outside. She started talking to herself, not expecting that the ensuing conversation would change her life drastically.

_"Even with the start of the indoor experiments, there'd be no trouble with the minds of the individual units" she said casually. The comment reflected her attitude that the girls were just mindless dolls. If they really were human, wouldn't their slaughter have some effect on their mental state?_

_"The Misaka network has no problems either. It seems there are no abnormalities" Misaka replied. It was a typical blithe response, one that indicated that the Misaka was not remotely perturbed by having experienced thousands of deaths._

_"Is there something you'd like to ask before beginning the outdoor tests?"_

_To the Misaka Network, the slaughter of the Misakas was viewed as a bland, work-related task. They had no concept of self, nor did they have an awareness of the value of their own lives. However, they did possess a mind, one that had been influenced by their genetic origin. Every thought they had had since birth was new to them. Every detail that the world had to offer was new to them. Even being killed by Accelerator was new to them, since he never did the same thing twice. Fighting him was like playing a video game, no matter how many times they died, they could simply 'reset' by just sending another clone at him. Since there were no individual differences between their minds, it was as if being killed was not a huge setback, as if they were simply respawning. Even after clone #20000, there were still backups in the form of Misaka Worst and Last Order. Therefore they had no personal grudge against Accelerator, who was simply a challenging boss. _

_On the other hand, they had interest in things other than the Misaka network. They were deeply compassionate towards others. Misaka #00001 had asked Accelerator if it was okay for her to shoot at him, even though the researchers had told her that it was. She was worried that she might hurt him, and so she had offered the warning. Since death was of no concern to them, they were willing to help Accelerator and the researchers meet their goals of producing a level 6. Accelerator had even asked permission to kill her, which she had granted. It was worth it if she could help him achieve his goals. Occasionally, the researchers would do something kind for them, like lend one of them a towel to dry off after getting out of the incubation device. The feeling of gratitude spread throughout the network, and it was like the act of kindness had occurred ten thousand times. One time they had made her first tea, which was a far cry from what they were expecting. They had been programmed with the taste of tea already learned, so it was as if they had purposely spoiled it. But wanting to be helpful, Misaka had told her the proper way to make tea._

_However, the sisters were exceedingly puzzled by something that their data provided. They knew that outside air was good, but they had no idea why it was supposed to be that way. From what they could tell, there was obviously some missing data that explained the discrepancy. No one had ever programmed into the sisters what the difference was between outdoor air and the dry, endlessly recycled air that was ventilated in the building._

_"Is outside air sweet? Is it spicy?" Misaka asked Nunotaba_

_"Huh?"_

_"I have learned that outside air is good. It would be better if it was sweet, Misaka states her own preference" she stated._

_Nunotaba felt an odd emotion well up within her. She knew how to explain what made outdoor air special, and she had the skill with the computers to know that it was something that would be beyond the capabilities of testament. From an inhuman point of view, the air outdoors is the same as the air indoors, as long as the chemical proportions are similar, there should be no way to distinguish the two. But she still felt nervous for some reason, as if she was somehow lying to herself about something._

_But humans would know the difference. They could feel the sunlight warming their bodies, feel wind blowing on their skin and clothes, evaporating their sweat, they could hear the sounds of nature, of birds playing their melodies, insects chirping noisily, wind rustling the leaves of plants, the sounds that resound in a man-made environment, like the cacophony of human industry, the noise of cars driving down the highways, honking their horns, coming to a stop at the stoplights and screeching as they rush forward again, the inaudible human voices that rise above their environment, and the wind whistling through the waterless canyons surrounded on by banks of buildings, smell the clean air that breezed past their noses, the pollen floating in the air, the absence of dust in the ventilation ducts, the absence of the strange chemicals and blood that seemed endemic to the facility, see the cheery blue skies, the lazy clouds, the unpredictable weather (who seems to currently be defying tree diagram's predictions), the bright sun, the splendid sunsets, the astonishing auroras, the fantastic fireworks, the outstanding oceans, ravishing rainbows, and the beautiful world that was given by god to all creatures to inhabit. She suddenly felt that there was no reason to explain these concepts to a doll that could not comprehend them._

_"Well, once you go outside, you'll understand" she said evasively, "The sunlight is really bright today."_

_Misaka had started to sway her whole body while looking from side to side. It was like she was getting ready to get a panorama shot of the outside, except without a camera. Nunotaba knew about the Misaka network, so she thought it was as if the Misaka beside her was the camera, and the rest of the Misakas were experiencing the world through her eyes and body. Like a virtual reality game._

_They stepped out onto the roof of the experimental facility. Misaka held out her hands, took deep breaths, and ran out onto the roof as if trying to calculate all of the parameters that made the outside world different from the facility. To Nunotaba, who viewed her as a machine, it was as if a computer had been tasked with describing what a feeling was. No matter how much data she collected, she had never been programmed with any emotions, so there shouldn't be any human feelings associated with this moment. It would just be another variable that the sisters would make use of in their battles against Accelerator._

_"Are you disappointed?" Nunotaba asked. Because Misaka was a machine, there was no way that she could understand what made truly outside air different from the laboratory. She took several steps forward until she could see her face again. Misaka had stopped still._

_What was with her face? She was making a facial expression that she should never have learned to make! Where did she learn that? It was an anomaly that should never have emerged within the sisters._

_It was the face of someone experiencing an epiphany. She was talking slowly and deliberately, to Nunotaba, herself or even perhaps the Misaka network itself._

_"No. That's not it." She said_

_Misaka held her hand to her chest, "A multitude of scents stimulates the nostrils, satisfying the chest"_

_ She put her hands down behind her and took a step forward, turning her back to Shinobu. She didn't seem to notice her any more._

_"An uneven wind blows, teasing the hair and blowing against the entire body"_

_She looked forwards._

_"The sun's light pours over the skin; you can feel the heat on your cheeks"_

_She looked up._

_"So the outside world was this bright"._

_ Nunotaba looked at herwhen she felt an overwhelming emotion run over her. _

_A human adult, born from their mother's womb, would be considered a human being the moment they were born. A human being born from being fertilized in-vitro, and then transplanted into the mother's womb would also be considered human the moment they were born. Was it the act of being born from a human being that made them human? Nunotaba knew intellectually that such an argument would invariably be won by the simple argument that goes "a human being is a human being"._

_What about the fact that these clones were produced artificially? Would that argument still apply? Of course it would: what would it matter if a baby was born from a black or Asian or white mother? So what would it matter if they were born from a test tube or a robot, if they still end up as a human?_

_That left only one question: whether their mind was human. Nunotaba had no compunction against using lab rats for research, because they did not possess human minds. If the clones were merely lab rats in the guise of humans, then it wouldn't matter._

_But for the first time ever, today, she had heard one of the Misaka's refer to themselves as an individual. Wasn't that proof that she was self-aware? Didn't the very presence of self-awareness blow away any possible reasonable argument that they were merely lab rats? If they were truly self-aware, then none of the scientists involved could ever atone for their crimes._

_Nunotaba just realized the importance of this moment. The Misaka sisters had been seen all their lives as machines with artificial minds and bodies. But the moment they stood in the sunlight, they became no different from any other organism on the planet. They ceased to be creatures of the laboratory and became part of the natural world._

_Nunotaba felt her world shattering apart as she realized that she was responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent lives. She raced past all of her past interactions with the clones in her memories. Each conversation took on a new life now that she had acknowledged the other person's existence. They had possessed minds and feelings the entire time, and she was just fooling herself the entire time. She knew plenty of people who hadn't even had half of Misaka's humanity. The girl had borne more suffering than ever human ever had, and still could admire life's beauty._

Misaka's reaction to her struggle for existence completely changed Nunotaba's world-view. No matter what difficulties she saw in her path, it paled in comparison to what the sisters had gone through. And even though those sisters had experienced so much pain, death, and so many obstacles, they had never given up, never cried, and took every opportunity to improve their lives. Every Misaka who was alive had experienced the great moment when they first took their breath of outside air. They had in the process, done what everyone in their lives had believed impossible, and realized their humanity for the first time, without even knowing what it was.

Nunotaba took physical education seriously for the first time in her life. She needed the exercise to save those innocent girls from the horrendous situation they had been forced to live in. Literature studies, which she had seen as a bunch of airy-fairy nonsense, transformed into the epic struggle of human rights against its oppressors. Her feelings, which had been so long separated from her mind, came out and spoke to her directly. In less than a week, she had completely transformed into a new person. She had previously been lonely, unhappy, and without direction. Now she was driven, motivated, and felt an immense joy at the upcoming prospect of saving these people. She would save the first people who had ever taught her what it meant to be a human being. The first people she could see as equals and friends.

A/N: Okay, I think that's the best chapter in this story so far. I am happy to write this chapter for the people who have followed my story so far. I'd continue writing if I only had one fan. So it appears the show will go on! Also, I think I'm getting better at this writing thing.

Thanks for reading my first fanfic guys! Keep tuned for more chapters!


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